Aftermath
by Valar Morghulis
Summary: For Harry, victory over Voldemort is hollow. He thought he could protect everything he held dear; now, at his moment of triumph, it has all become meaningless. What is life without friends to share it? Oneshot.


Dedicated to Netrixie, for being awesome.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Okay, it may seem strange, but this fic is written chronologically backwards – that is, each little section takes place _after _the one beneath it, with the first section in the story taking place last. Sections are demarcated by lines, which were meant to be little backwards arrows before FF's formatting destroyed my little piece of artistic awesomeness :(

Also, it's dialogue only.

Read! Review! And most importantly, Enjoy!

* * *

"Ron, please, listen to me. You don't have to agree, just hear me out. I know… I know you're pretty cut up about it; I am, too, and-"

"You don't give a fuck. Bugger off."

"Ron, I do, you _know_ I do, but you have to understand-"

"This is the last time I'm going to say this, Harry: I don't want you talking to me. Ever again. I don't want to know you, and if I see your face one more time, I will kill you."

* * *

"I tried, Harry, but he wouldn't listen at all. I've talked to Molly and Arthur, but Ron isn't even coming home to sleep now; God knows where he's staying... Perhaps- Harry, I know what I said before, but I think that you're the only one who can pull him out of it. And we have to find him - fast. He's going to do something stupid before long, I know he is."

"I can understand why, Remus. It's all so unreal – finally we've defeated Voldemort, but the price… the price we paid… I can't believe it. I just can't believe it."

"I know, but it's still no excuse for the way he's acting. No excuse at all."

* * *

"Remus, this isn't a good time. Can't you just…leave?"

"No. No, I can't leave you like this, Ron. We all knew the risks we took, fighting that battle. You knew that we all understood that sacrifices might have to be made. Everyone is absolutely distraught, the same as you, Ron; but I don't know anyone in the Order who wouldn't have done the same."

"I do, and I'll give you a clue. He's the world's hero. He's lord of all he sees. For seven years he hasn't stopped thinking that because he is famous, he is _better_ than the rest of us. Can you tell me that you don't know one person who would never have put himself second? Can you?"

"That's not true, Ron, that's not-"

"It was his fault. He admitted it; he told me so. He told me!"

"It doesn't change any-"

"Goodbye, Remus."

* * *

"He asked me how I had managed to fight through to Voldemort, and I told him; and for a second he went so still, it didn't seem like he was breathing. And then he just turned and walked off, and when I tried to chase him, he Apparated away. Remus, I _know_ he needs my help, but I can't do anything. He's been avoiding me since then, and when I do see him I just can't get through to him. I don't know what to do."

"I understand, Harry. It's okay; I'll find him and talk to him about it. But maybe you just need to give him some time – it's only been a week, after all. So many lives…gone, all gone – she was only one of them. He needs to grieve."

"So do I."

* * *

"No. No, it can't- No!"

"I'm sorry, Ron. I'm so, so sorry."

"She couldn't… it's not possible…"

"It's true, Ron. I wish it wasn't, but-"

"What happened, Harry? Tell me how… how she died."

"She sacrificed herself. We'd just found Voldemort - surrounded by his guards, as always. We had no chance of getting through them; and they'd just seen us, they were coming for us. And then a curse came flying out of nowhere. I…I was stupid; I was too slow. She jumped in front of me; the curse hit her instead. She staggered... I could see the blood - so much blood, but she was still on her feet, Ron, still stumbling forwards, picking up speed, wand held high: moving straight towards the Death Eaters. The curse should have cut her to pieces… I don't know how she did it, but she kept running, right at them, hexes left and right… She was screaming. I could hardly understand, only a few words: 'Go! Kill him, Harry, now!' And then… and then she yelled your name.

"She cut straight through his bodyguard: Voldemort's elite, the most powerful wizards alive. I could hardly see her wand, it was moving so fast: curses, blocks, deflections – I had no idea how good she was, Ron. She'd have had any one of them dead. But there were just too many. Ten, twenty seconds… and it was all over, they'd hit her. She was on the ground, now. Still fighting, although they were cursing her, hitting her over and over again with streaks of red and green, until she stopped… she just stopped moving.

"But they'd forgotten me: she'd paid her life to buy me time. I killed the few that were left – I cursed them from behind, and then Voldemort was right there, right in front of me. I made him pay, Ron. I made him pay for what they'd done to her.

"I don't care what anyone says. She was the true hero. She was the one who won the war.

"Ron?

"Ron, don't-"

* * *

"We won, Harry! You did it! We won!"

"Ron, listen-"

"You were bloody brilliant at the end, Harry. Bloody brilliant."

"It wasn't... it wasn't just me. Ron..."

"Course not. Me and 'Mione too – we're the Golden Trio, right? Hey, where is Hermione anyway? I can't see her anywhere…"

* * *

"_Avada Kedavra!"_


End file.
